COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONWhat is The Beacon, you might ask? Calfkiller and Yazoo brewed this beer with some German oak smoked wheat malt, local TN honey, and some in-house Calfkiller-roasted coffee. It’s fermented with Calfkiller’s house ale yeast and unfiltered. I am so happy with how it turned out! The nose is fresh, clean and slightly flowery. The smoked wheat shows up in the beginning of the first sip, followed by a herbal, earthy body but finishing dry and only slightly sweet.

Big bottle from The Market on Washington and High. Pours a really cloudy light yellow with a fizzy white head. Aroma is tart with lots of lemon and flowers. Smells like a straight up witbier, basically. The flavor is where the difference is. It is quite odd that the coffee and smoke are not detectable in the nose at all, yet come out in the flavor, albeit not very strong. This is a very light bodied brew and the addition of coffee is weird, but it works. It rounds out the finish nicely. What starts as a citrusy refresher with a wheaty body ends with a suggestion of smokey iced coffee. There is a well balanced sweetness to offset the sour and smokey notes. This is a great session beer and different too.

750 ml. Hazy golden pour with a one inch, creamy head and lots of effervescent action in the body; the look of a Belgian Tripel. Nose of smoky wheat and resin, with a hint of dish soap. Taste is upfront with smoke and light wheat that develops into a smoky, lightly peppery cracker with some touches of wild garlic, green grass, resins and lightly sour citrus on the finish. I normally only consume beer, but this seems like it would pair nicely with some sort of fish. I might take up eating food again just to see. Light body is smooth, and surprisingly seems lightly carbonated with a slight oily texture, and is to the dry side.

Nice clean aroma, but doesn’t really prepare you for the flavor. Taste is a lightly malty wheat with nice hints of smoke. I didn’t notice the honey, but perhaps is just balancing the smokiness with more overall sweetness. Sort of earthy in the dry finish. Unique. Enjoyable.

Join us! RateBeer is made by beer enthusiasts for the craft beer community.
Your basic membership is free and allows you to read all beer ratings.
Click here to create your account... and give your opinion!